Lakewood Ranch Plans For 2010

Lakewood Ranch staff are busy planning for the nationwide economic recovery forecast to be fully underway in 2010. They anticipate that the 15th Anniversary year of Lakewood Ranch in 2010 will coincide with Ranch builders leading the way out of the two year housing slump.

LWR Communities President Milt Flynn currently is interviewing additional builders to participate in the Ranch's new growth plans. In addition to four villages currently open, the new Central Park by Neal Communities is underway for a mid-2010 opening. Expect big activity at Lakewood Ranch next year.

National Economists Say Recession Over

The Wall Street Journal reported in August that 27 of 47 economists surveyed nationwide said the recession has ended and they were nearly unanimous in giving credit to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke for stabilizing the financial markets. The economists cited the better-than-expected unemployment decline in July as a major factor in their positive outlook. They also expressed confidence in the projected 2.4 percent increase in the Gross Domestic Product for the third quarter of 2009.

Mid-year Outlook

NAHB's Chief economist David Crowe presented his mid-year economic outlook during July with positive projections for Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employment and single family housing sales through the last quarter of 2009 and continuing upward through all of 2010. He projected relatively flat mortgage rates and multifamily housing starts during this same period.

Crowe's projections were contrary to the more conservative forecasts of many other nationally quoted economists, but unlike many of his peers, Crowe presented extensive national and state data to support his outlook. He included interrelationships between unemployment, delinquent mortgages and vacant homes as well as net household formations and housing starts. Three years of mortgage delinquency rates by state also are included.

The positive projections of David Crowe were further supported by July's decline in unemployment - the first such decline during the past year - and the second quarter profit of the giant AIG financial company. The accompanying rise in the stock market should generate higher consumer confidence as we enter the fourth quarter of 2009.

New Consultation Offering

Parker Family Expands in 2009

The decline in the national economy was partially balanced by the expansion of the Parker family in recent months. First, we added our second granddaughter, Karys Ashley Parker, born to Dan and Ashley Parker (and brother Quinn) on May 13, 2009 in Clearwater.

Then, on July 25, a small group of family and friends gathered under clear blue skies on a secluded beach on Little Exuma Island in The Bahamas to witness the wedding of Stephen Parker to Cindy Zimmerman, a successful Realtor with Coldwell Banker Devonshire Realty in St. Augustine. The addition of the beautiful Cindy to our growing family is enhanced by her two equally beautiful daughters, Rainey and Reide, who bring our grandchild population to eight.